Light-harvesting heptadecameric porphyrin assemblies

New porphyrin assemblies containing 17 porphyrin molecules are constructed by using free base TPP-type porphyrins having eight pyrazine moieties 1. Spectroscopic titration of dimeric [meso-tetrakis(2-carboxy-4-nonylphenyl)porphyrinato]zinc(II) 2 with these porphyrins shows that the processes of the formation of the heptadecameric porphyrin assemblies may be analyzed as eight independent equilibrium processes with an identical binding constant. All binding constants are larger than 5 x 107 M-1 which is the determinable upper limit of the present titration method. In all cases, the fluorescence spectrum of the 1:8 mixture of 1 and 2 consists of the major fluorescence of 1 and the minor one of 2.pyrazine complex even in the presence of the large excess of the antenna pigments. The observed spectra are well reconstructed by the form of faF1 + fbF2, where F1 and F2 are the fluorescence of 1 and the 2.pyrazine complex measured separately at the corresponding concentrations. Interestingly, the general trend that values of fa are nearly equal to those of r564 x (1 - fb) in all cases is found, where r564 is the absorption ratios of the 2.pyrazine moiety and the central free base porphyrin in the assemblies at 564 nm. The observation indicates the excitation of the central porphyrin is directly enhanced by the absorption of the antenna pigments even in such large scale assemblies. Thus, the antenna effect for 1 having largest r564 results in 77 times fluorescence enhancement of the central free base porphyrin. The systems also show interesting dependency of energy-transfer efficiencies on the topological arrangement of the antenna elements.     

Trace analysis of high-purity copper by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis after the separation of matrix element was studied for the determination of trace impurity elements (Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Zn) in high purity copper. Matrix copper was removed by electrolysis (0.2 A, 8 h) of a nitric acid solution. A 10 μL aliquot of the remaining solution of the electrolysis was dropped on a silicon-wafer sample-carrier and dried in a vacuum. This was repeated five times and the precipitate of five 10 μL-aliquots was analyzed by TXRF using a W-Lβ beam with an incident angle of 0.05?°. TXRF analytical values were obtained by using relative sensitivity factors of the analytes to the internal standard element (Pd). Detection limits of the analytes ranges from 0.077 ng for Zn to 0.785 ng for Ca.     

Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical studies on UO(2)(saloph)L (saloph = N,N'-disalicylidene-o-phenylenediaminate,L=dimethyl sulfoxide or N,N-dimethylformamide)

To examine properties of pentavalent uranium, U(V), we have carried out electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical studies on UO(2)(saloph)L [saloph = N,N'-disalicylidene-o-phenylenediaminate, L = dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)]. The electrochemical reactions of UO(2)(saloph)L complexes in L were found to occur quasireversibly. The reduction processes of UO(2)(saloph)L complexes were followed spectroelectrochemically by using an optical transparent thin layer electrode cell. It was found that the absorption spectra measured at the applied potentials from 0 to -1.650 V versus ferrocene/ferrocenium ion redox couple (Fc/Fc(+)) for UO(2)(saloph)DMSO in DMSO have clear isosbestic points and that the evaluated electron stoichiometry equals 1.08. These results indicate that the reduction product of UO(2)(saloph)DMSO is [U(V)O(2)(saloph)DMSO](-), which is considerably stable in DMSO. Furthermore, it was clarified that the absorption spectrum of the [U(V)O(2)(saloph)DMSO](-) complex has a very small molar absorptivity in the visible region and characteristic absorption bands due to the 5f(1) orbital at around 750 and 900 nm. For UO(2)(saloph)DMF in DMF, the clear isosbestic points were not observed in the similar spectral changes. It is proposed that the UO(2)(saloph)DMF complex is reduced to [U(V)O(2)(saloph)DMF](-) accompanied by the dissociation of DMF as a successive reaction. The formal redox potentials of UO(2)(saloph)L in L (E(0), vs Fc/Fc(+)) for U(VI)/U(V) couple were determined to be -1.550 V for L = DMSO and -1.626 V for L = DMF.     

BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES IN Paramecium multimicronucleatum TO VISIBLE LIGHT

Specimens of colorless Paramecium multimicronucleatum were found to respond to visible light. They accumulated in the shaded region (photodispersal) of a half-shaded glass tube during 2 min exposure to visible light. The specimens showed avoiding reaction upon both spatial and temporal increase in light intensity (step-up photophobic response). Steady-state swimming velocity (orthokinesis) was higher, while steady-state frequency of spontaneous change in swimming direction (klinokinesis) was lower when the light intensity was kept higher. In a light with wavelength of 440 nm the velocity was highest, while the frequency was lowest. The specimens did not show phototaxis (light direction-oriented locomotion). Spectral sensitivity curves for both the photodispersal and the step-up photophobic response showed a major peak at 520 nm and a minor peak at 680 nm. The photodispersal seems to be caused mainly by the step-up photophobic response exhibited by the specimens at the dark-light border. The photokinetic responses enhance the degree of the photodispersal.     

Construction of porphyrin-cyclodextrin self-assembly with molecular wedge

A new host porphyrin bearing four permethyl-beta-cyclodextrin moieties for multi-porphyrin assembly forms a unique 2 : 2 assembly with the tetra-anion of tetrakis(p-sulfonylphenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) in aqueous solution.     

Thermodynamic relationship between structural isomers of the thermochromic compound bis(N-Isopropyl-5,6-benzosalicylideneiminato)nickel(II)

A pair of structural isomers was isolated at room temperature for the thermochromic nickel complex bis( N-isopropyl-5,6-benzosalicylideneiminato)nickel(II); one is a diamagnetic green form with square-planar coordination geometry (G phase), and the other is a paramagnetic brown form with a tetrahedral geometry (B phase). However, a question as to which form is thermodynamically stable was left open. To solve this problem, thermal and magnetic properties of this complex were investigated by adiabatic heat capacity calorimetry in the 6-508 K temperature range and magnetic measurements in the 2-400 K region. In addition to the two forms previously reported, two metastable crystal forms (G' and B' phases) were found. The stable phase sequence was G phase, B phase, and then liquid upon heating. The supercooled B phase gave rise to a small phase transition with nonmagnetic origin at around 50 K. By rapidly cooling the liquid, a glassy liquid state was realized below approximately 290 K. The order of thermodynamic stability at 298.15 K was revealed to be the G, B, G', and then the B' phase. The entropy, enthalpy, and Gibbs energy differences between the B and the G phases at 298.15 K were S degrees (B) - S degrees (G) = 32.8 J K (-1) mol (-1), H degrees (B) - H degrees (G) = 16.0 kJ mol (-1), and G degrees (B) - G degrees (G) = 6.25 kJ mol (-1), respectively.     

Symmetric submanifolds associated with irreducible symmetric R-spaces

We construct examples of symmetric submanifolds in Riemannian symmetric spaces of noncompact type and obtain the classification of symmetric submanifolds in irreducible Riemannian symmetric spaces of noncompact type and rank greater than one. This finishes the classification problem of symmetric submanifolds in Riemannian symmetric spaces completely.     

Dynamic ad-dimer twisting assisted nanowire self-assembly on Si(001)

Based on ab initio total energy calculation, we show that a dynamic ad-dimer twisting assisted (DATA) process plays a crucial role in facilitating a novel structural reconstruction involving surface and subsurface atoms on Si(001). It leads to self-assembly of long nanowires of group-V elements (Bi, Sb) in the trenches of surface dimer vacancy lines (DVLs) with a characteristic double-dimer configuration. The key to this is the lowering of the kinetic barrier by the DATA process in conjunction with a favorable interaction between ad-dimers and step edges in DVLs. The present results provide an excellent account for experimental observations and reveal the atomistic origin and the dynamic transformation path for nanowire self-assembly on Si(001).     

High pressure Raman study of bromine and iodine: soft phonon in the incommensurate phase

A new phase of solid bromine was discovered at a pressure region above 80 GPa by Raman scattering experiments with a diamond anvil high-pressure cell. This phase was found to be the same as the iodine phase V with an incommensurate structure [Nature (London) 423, 971 (2003)] which appears between the molecular phase I and the monatomic phase II. In the incommensurate phases of both bromine and iodine, Raman active soft modes were clearly found in the low frequency region. The data suggest that the monoatomic phase II occurs above 30 and 115 GPa for iodine and bromine, respectively.     

Imaging of water distribution in thermally fractured granites by SPRITE

Water distribution in thermally fractured granite samples was visualized by using SPRITE sequences. Networks of intergranular fractures were observed in the coarse-grained Inada granite after heating at 873 K or above. On the other hand, bright spots were observed in the fine-grained Okazaki granite, which may be due to pore water in feldspar grains. D2O diffusion into samples saturated with H2O was also observed by 2D-projected SPRITE imaging.